Digital Marketing: Where Do You Start?

It’s a common question. There are so many different opportunities online that you may be overwhelmed by them!

Where can you start? Well, anywhere really. But where should you start? Now that’s a different story.

Is There A Single Right Place To Start?

Now, you may be asking yourself this question. After all, there are so many different business models out there. Is there one single, definitive starting point? Or does it depend more on your business model?

To a certain extent, your path depends on your business. There are different strategies for everyone to use, and you’ll be hard pressed to find one grand, overarching strategy that works for everyone.

Your business is different from any other business, and requires a special, unique approach tailor made to what it is you’re trying to accomplish. In every single client with whom we’ve worked, we’ve found this to be true.

BUT!

There is a common starting point. One “starting line” item without which you’ll have a hard time achieving the success you’re looking for.

What is that one foundational element that’s common to nearly every successful web marketing strategy?

That element is YOUR WEBSITE!

Why Is A Website So Important?

In the age of social media spreading all over the place, you might think of a website as a bit of an antique.

After all, in this era of constant social media engagement, why would you even need a website at all? Why not just build an awesome Facebook page, and let it take care of things for you?

This is a pretty common myth, and I’ve had several people talk to me about it. And it’s time to bust it once and for all!

This may be a surprise to hear, but it’s something you need to understand.

Compared to a website, a Facebook page is WORTHLESS!

It’s true! Now don’t get me wrong, a Facebook page is great. You can drive some excellent leads to your business through an engaged social media presence.

But when it comes to effectiveness, a website beats the hell out of a Facebook page!

Here are just a few of the reasons why.

A Website Has More Reach

How many people are there on Facebook? As of October 28th 2014, the most recent estimate I could find, there were one billion, three hundred fifty million active accounts.

That’s a lot of people! But then consider how many people there are online. This website here tracks how many people have access to the internet, down to the exact number!

When I wrote this article, there were three billion, eight million, one hundred seventy thousand people connected to the internet. That’s more than twice the number of people on Facebook!

While you don’t have to *have* a Facebook page to view another Facebook page, the chances of someone who doesn’t use Facebook finding your Facebook page is pretty slim.

So in the decision to choose a Facebook page or a website, ask yourself this question: do you want to cut off more than half of your audience?

You’re In Control Of Your Website!

If you put all your eggs in Facebook’s basket, you don’t have much of a choice in things.

If Facebook decides to change its layout (which happens all the time!), you have no choice in the matter. Your page gets changed automatically.

If Facebook decides it doesn’t like your content for whatever reason, they can ban you without warning.

If Facebook decides to shut down altogether, or if it gets banned in your area, well, then you’re REALLY in trouble!

With your website, though, you’re in complete control! You change your layout when YOU want, and based on the needs of YOUR business and YOUR customers. And you can’t get banned from your own website!

People Aren’t Looking For You On Facebook!

Look, as a health professional, you’re likely dependent at least to a certain extent on local business. Clients in your area who are looking for someone who does what you do.

Now think of your search patterns. If you wanted to search for a holistic nutritionist in Toronto, for example, what would you do? Would you go to Facebook and use their search bar?

I doubt it. If you’re like most people, you’ll head straight to Google.

Many people are using Google every day to search for local businesses. And if your website is at the top of Google for a valuable search term, you could find yourself swarmed with new leads!

Now, it’s not always easy to climb to the top of Google. But if all you have is a Facebook page, you’ll have no hope at all of climbing up!

And even if you were at the top, most people will skip over you anyway! They’re not looking for a Facebook page, they’re looking for results.

Facebook As An Advertisement

Think of it this way.

You’re in meatspace (that’s the real world, not the internet world). And you have two options to promote your business.

The first is to grab a plot of land. On it, you can build whatever you want to help your business flourish. There’s no end to the strategies you can use. You can say whatever you want, do whatever you want, and keep it for as long as you want.

The second option is to set up a post in an area where tons of people visit, like a busy subway car. You put up a poster in the subway, and hope a few people see it.

What do you think is more effective as a long-term strategy?

If you’re going to use Facebook as a marketing tool, it should be in combination with a killer, highly optimized website designed to convert as many visitors as possible into customers.

But how should you build your website in the first place? After all, there’s more to it than just grabbing a $99 website from Craigslist, crossing your fingers, and hoping for the best.

You could build any one of hundreds of different types of websites, and each one will bring you a different result. So what’s the solution for your business?

The truth is there’s no one type of website that works for everyone. And there’s a process involved in narrowing down your unique needs.

To discover more about that process, and how you can get a website tailor-made to your business needs, get in touch with us today, for what we call the Online Success Planning Session. During that session, we’ll take you by the hand and show you exactly what your business needs to succeed online.

We don’t work with just anyone, but if you’re ready to take your business to the next level and bring in more leads than ever before, drop us a line!

About Brad Edwards

Brad is co-founder of Cloud Surfing Media. Serving as lead copywriter, his role is to help businesses speak more clearly to their prospective clients, increase conversions, and grow their business! When Brad isn't writing, he can be found drumming, playing guitar, reading a good book, or relaxing on a beach.